


The Pear Tree

by Bexii



Series: Safe and Sound [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cooking, Established Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Fluff, M/M, YouTube, YouTuber Ignis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20341609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bexii/pseuds/Bexii
Summary: Prompto wants to cook a cake for Ignis' birthday and knows the perfect recipe - one he found on youtube!The Pear Tree Cooking channel may be one Ignis was already familiar with.Part of the Safe & Sound series





	The Pear Tree

**Author's Note:**

> YouTuber Ignis needed to be done! Just a short and rather quick piece. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Talk to me about all things Final Fantasy XV and Gladnis on twitter @bexii1984

**The Pear Tree**

“You want to do what now?” Gladio asked, his arms crossed as he observed the two teenagers in front of him. Noctis had already taken a seat at the bar, his elbows on the surface as he interlocked his fingers together, resting his chin on the digits. Prompto, on the other hand, was grinning widely as he placed a bag on the desk and removed a laptop, lifting the lid to power life into the machine.

“Dude, we’re going to bake a cake for Iggy’s birthday!” Prompto replied, his attention now on his laptop as his fingers moved quickly over the keys to bring up a video, pausing it before it began playing.

“And why are you in my kitchen exactly?”

“Well Specs virtually lives in the kitchens at the Citadel, and my kitchen is out of bounds, so we figured the next place would be yours,” Noctis said. “Plus, your kitchen is fully stocked with what we need and worst comes to worst, Jared could help bail us out of this inevitable disaster.”

Prompto looked up from his laptop. “Hey, this is totally going to work, Noct! I follow this guy on YouTube who does hundreds of cooking videos, and they’re really simple to follow – well, some of them are,” he laughed.

Gladio turned the laptop slightly, taking a look at what it was that they were expecting him to sacrifice his family kitchen for. Taking one look at the title of the video made him laugh. “Ebony cream chiffon cake? Iggy will love that.”

“That’s what we thought too,” Noctis sniggered. “So?”

“I can hardly say no, considering – can I? So what are you going to do when Iggy comes looking for you?”

“Was hoping you could tell him that we’re training at your place or something. Keep him away for a few hours?” the prince asked, looking at Gladio expectantly. Within a second, Prompto came to stand behind Noctis and rested his chin on the top of the other’s head, bottom lip trembling and eyes looking in such a way that resembled Iris when she wanted something.

“You two are unbelievable at times,” he grumbled lightly, taking out his phone from his pocket to shoot a series of texts to the man in question.

_Gladio 12:54:_ _Hey Iggy, I’m training the brat at my place today – he wants to show off for Blondie lol_

_Ignis 12:55: Very well. Please try not to humiliate His Highness in front of Prompto too much, if possible. You are not the one who will have to handle the repercussions, as that will fall to me. _

_Gladio 12:55: Iggy, are you asking me to put my pride on the line for the sake of Noct’s feelings? What do I get out of this compromise?_

_Ignis 12:56: My gratitude?_

_Gladio 12:56: I might need a bit to convince me than that, babe. It’s a big ask, after all ;)_

_Ignis 12:56: Perhaps I could be tempted into making that trout dish you like so much?_

_Gladio12:57: Using food against me, Iggy? That’s low haha_

_Ignis 12:57: No, what would be low is saying you can have me for dessert…_

_Gladio 12:57: Tease. In that case, can I have my dessert first ;) _

_Ignis 12:57: Try not to get too distracted, Gladio dear, or it shan’t take much for Noctis to best you this time. I shall come to retrieve both boys at 5pm sharp. _

“Dude, stop flirting – we’re right here, you know!” Noctis exclaimed, hands covering his face as Prompto shook in silent laughter. “I much preferred it when you guys at least tried to be subtle.”

“Hey, because of me, I’ve just bought us four hours before Iggy comes… so you’re welcome,” Gladio smirked, pocketing his phone and turning his attention to the laptop. “So what’s this video and what ingredients do we need?”

Prompto proceeded to play the video, and they all watched the tutorial with Noctis pausing every so often to write down the exact recipe so they would not have to continually pause and rewind the video if they were stumped by something.  
So far, it looked pretty straightforward to them all; however, they would soon learn that looks could be deceiving when it comes to the art of baking.  
They all agreed the cake in question would be something that Ignis would (hopefully) enjoy – it was not too heavy on the chocolate side, and the frosting was not overpowering to the point that it consumed the sponge.

Their first attempt was halted as they realised that none of them knew how to make the meringue, a key ingredient in ensuring that the sponge would be light and airy, and thus another video was used. After much shouting and a few flared tempers, they were finally able to separate the whites from the yokes of the eggs.

Back to the recipe!

Everything was going rather smoothly. Everything was perfect, in fact. The bronzed cake was removed from the oven, resembling what it did in the original video.

“Piece of cake, right?” Noctis laughed, nudging Prompto with his elbow as the blond boy grinned.

“Let’s _cake_ back and relax as this baby cools,” Prompto replied.

It was only during a round of King’s Knight that Gladio put his phone down and raised his concerns to the others. “Is that cake supposed to drop like that?” he said, poking at the sponge that was now part ways down the pan, as opposed to raised above.

“But we did everything the video told us to!” Noctis groaned, quickly searching on his phone to find answers to ‘why has my chiffon cake dropped?’  
He stayed silent for a few moments before sighing loudly. “Apparently, you need to cool the cake upside down, or it could drop. I honestly thought the person in the video was showing off…”

“Great,” Gladio grumbled as he went to get another batch of ingredients for their second cake of the day. Though despite it having dropped, the sponge still tasted appetising – all three of them were pulling it apart as they carefully watched their newest cake cooling upside down.

So far so good! The cake was cooled and raised proudly above the tin. All three gave each other a thumbs up. It was decided that Noctis would probably be the best choice to do the delicate work of trying to remove the cake from the mould. Gladio stated he would probably be too heavyhanded and Prompto swiftly pushed it in the direction of Noctis before anyone could make a solid decision.

“How on Eos is anyone supposed to remove this without cutting it to ribbons?” Noctis sighed, sitting at the bar and massaging his temples as the remains of their perfect cake sat in front of him. “That person must have used clever editing because this is impossible. How does Specs have the patience for all this shit?”

Prompto was turning the plate at different angles, in hopes that perhaps he would find the perfect view that would instantly fix the cake and hide all the other imperfections. Gladio, on the other hand, was checking his phone to find some shop in Insomniathat made and delivered cakes.

The third cake was where they decided to pull out the big guns. Was it childish to have Jered overlook the whole process in ensuring the cake was made to perfection? Perhaps. However, they were running out of time, and if there was one thing that Jared excelled in, it was cooking. He watched the video and concluded that there were no tricks used in making the cake, but he would assist in any way they needed him to.  
Instead, they chose to have him shadow him them and intervene if he felt they were about to do anything that could ruin the third cake. So far, they had managed to make it to the stage after cooling with no hiccups. If anything, they claimed they were becoming pros at half-making cakes and that Ignis would have a run for his money if they ever decided to go pro.

Now it was time to remove the cake from the circular mould. All three had the same idea and requested that Jered be the one to remove the cake. The older man laughed as he delicately cut along the edges and provided a running commentary of the best way to remove cakes from complicated moulds.

All that was left was to insert the coffee cream into the cake and then add a decorative finish.  
Three sets of eyes immediately sought out Jered, all too afraid of ruining the cake so close to completion. Did it matter if the cake was no made by them entirely? They very much doubted that Ignis would be bothered by this. In fact, they were all confident that Ignis would have been appreciative of their very first cake <strike>disaster</strike> creation, accepting the mess with such poise and grace that even they would be convinced that they created a masterpiece.

Currently, they were all sat around the bar, looking at the mouthwatering creation in front of them. A moist sponge with coffee cream pumped inside and decorated with a creamy topping and sprinkled with icing sugar. All they had to do was wait the thirty minutes for Ignis to arrive.

“Hey Prompto, how did you find this channel anyway?” Noctis asked, his curiosity now piqued.

“You remember that melon dessert Ignis made about two years ago? Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about it – it was that good, Dude! So I searched online for a recipe and came across a melon mousse this person made and it turned out pretty damn great - if I do say so myself,” Prompto said, his face breaking into a wide grin. “They even provided me with alternative savory recipes! I asked one time whether it was possible to make slight adjustments to the ingredients, not expecting anything from it, and they messaged me back the next day with more than one recipe that replaced the meat with tofu! Ever since then, they do a variety of lighter meals, as well as sweet and savoury on their channel. That dude is total legit amazing!  
I told them that if they ever needed any technical help with anything, I’d be more than happy to help out. I think I edited about fifteen videos before they said they were confident in that department. Everything has been top-notch since!”

“Sounds like Prompto’s made a new friend,” Gladio laughed as he pulled the laptop towards himself and began perusing through the channel.

“Shut up,” Prompto groaned, turning his face away to avoid anyone from noticing the reddening of his cheeks. “Hey! Do you think we should show this channel to Ignis? He could get some tips on maybe making that dessert that you can’t seem to remember.”

Noctis furrowed his brows before shaking his head. “ I can’t imagine Ignis sitting around, watching youtube.”

“Oh, and why is that?” a voice came from the door behind them, startling both Noctis and Prompto, who swiftly stood to block the view of the cake on the table. Why had they not boxed it up? Why was Ignis early?

“Specs, you’re early,” Noctis stammered, moving closer to the right so that he was hip to hip with Prompto, completely blocking all view of the cake.

Ignis paused from his position in the doorway, observing both Noctis and Prompto with a critical eye. “You’re acting most peculiar, Noct. Is everything alright?” 

The two younger boys looked at each other and laughed awkwardly.

“Everything’s fine.”  
“It’s swell.”  
“Super swell.”  
“Total swell.”  
“_Swell_!”

Ignis continued to stare at the two for a moment longer, but when he failed to get a response that would explain, he walked forward and addressed the older man sitting in front of the computer, looking above the display with obvious amusement written on his features. “Gladio, what did you do to them?” Ignis all but demanded.

“I like how you automatically assume I did something,” he laughed.

“Well,” he began. “as the only other sensible adult in the room.” Ignoring the matching chimes of “_hey_!” Ignis continued. “Do you care to explain?”

Gladio just smiled. “Sit down,” he said, patting the table to his right. “The kids have something for you.”

“You do realise there are only three years between us, right? Not a kid, Gladio!” Noctis groaned before his eyes widened as he watched Ignis sit down right in front of the – cake? Where?  
He then heard the scrapping of what sounded to be wooden chair legs on the tiled flooring. Taking a glance towards the two older men sitting at the table, he noticed Gladio motioning to his left with a slight nod of his head. Perplexed, he looked down and saw that Gladio had pushed a chair towards him and sitting proudly on that chair was the missing cake. He nudged Prompto, who brightened immediately.

“Eyes closed,” Gladio said softly as he stood behind Ignis and gently placed his hands over the frames of his glasses.

“What are you up to?” Ignis spoke lightly. He could hear shuffling and whispers. He was most baffled. Before he had the time to question what was happening, the hands were removed from his glasses and sight returned. Sitting in front of him was a beautiful, and rather familiar-looking, cake. “What’s all this?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!” a chorus of voices sang out.

“For me? I am most grateful but I’m afraid it is not my birthday.”

“For another week? Yeah, I know,” Gladio said, wrapping his arms softly around Ignis and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Humour them for me? Prompto thinks it’s your birthday and Noct, the little shit, didn’t correct him,” he whispered in his ear before delivering another kiss and then pulling back with a wide grin upon his face.

Ignis took in the scene before him. Prompto looked on with a wide smile and eyes that twinkled with glee. Meanwhile, Noctis was now sitting back down and leaning on his elbow, a soft smile on his face. To anyone, it would appear is if the prince was uninterested, however, to someone who had known Noctis since he was a young boy, Ignis knew that Noctis was thrilled beyond belief, getting almost as much joy out of the situation as Prompto was. Gladio was still grinning.  
It was at that moment that Ignis realised that Noctis was perfectly aware that his birthday was months ago, yet he did not disclose that information to Prompto. No, instead of disappointing, maybe even humiliating Prompto, he went along with his idea and made a birthday cake for someone whose birthday was months ago – all to keep the smile on his friend’s face. The first friend he ever made who did not want him for his royal status – the same friend who could understand the same loneliness he had growing up. However, unlike himself, Prompto was not lucky enough to have his own Gladio by his side or an Ignis to call his own. Though he did now, and Noctis was determined to keep it that way. If a little white lie about a birthday was the way to go, then so be it.

“However, this works most favourably for me, as I am afraid I shall be working relentlessly throughout my actual birthday, so celebrating it now shall be an enjoyable treat.”

He proceeded to manoeuvre around the kitchen in a way that seemed almost second nature, retrieving four plates and cutlery, before moving back to the table and slicing the cake, leaving a sizable portion for Iris, Jared and his young grandson, Talcot, and Clarus to enjoy.

Noticing that all eyes were on him, Ignis took the initiative to take a bite of out the cake first, eyes widening in surprise. “This is superb. Did you make this yourself?”  
The sponge was light and airy and gave the perfect balance against the sweet, fluffy buttercream icing. The flavours blended beautifully, the bitterness of the coffee with the sweetness of the cream.

The others began to dig into their slices of cake and finally got to experience the same explosion of flavours. “Dude, this is sooo good!”

“Yeah, Prompto has this youtuber friend who has a cooking channel. I think you might be interested in it,” Gladio chimed in after devouring his cake much quicker than everyone else. He reached over and began to play the video, watching Ignis’ expression closely. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Most interesting,” Ignis said.

“Isn’t it just? What I find interesting is this,” he replied, pausing the video and pointing to a particular area. “Just here.”

Prompto and Noctis looked on with confusion. Ignis, however, looked on with amusement.

“You find a random youtuber’s crotch to be interesting? Most intriguing.”

Gladio leered, brows lifting suggestively. “Oh, I am always interested in that youtuber’s crotch. However, that belt buckle,” he said, tapping on the screen, “looks exactly like the belt I got you three years ago – custom made and the only one in the whole of Eos.” He then tapped on the buckle that Ignis was currently wearing. “Kind of like this one here.”

Prompto moved as quickly as lightning, glancing between the laptop and Ignis’ belt in such fascination, before taking a step back and placing a hand over his mouth as his eyes widened. “Oh em gee! You?” he stuttered before smiling broadly and laughing loudly. “You’re him? The Pear Tree Cooking Channel – with 2million subscribers? Dude, you’re like famous!”

“Specs, you do youtube??” Noctis said, surprise evident in his voice.

“You caught me,” Ignis laughed. “I decided to record my new cooking creations as a way of not only cataloguing my recipes but also aiding myself in spotting any mistakes I may have made. My primary reason for putting them on that website was to clear space on my phone. I never once anticipated such a positive reception. After a while, I began to really put effort into the videos I was making, thanks to Prompto here – yes, I knew it was you – and knowing that videos of my cooking were bringing such joy to an audience – it was such an inspiring and enthralling feeling.”

“I can’t believe I am friends with a celebrity!” Prompto said excitedly, jumping from foot to foot. “This is so cool!”  
He turned his attention when he heard a loud, probably deliberate, cough coming from the direction of Noctis. “Do you have 2 million subscribers?” he asked, curiously.

“I don’t have social media, other than King’s Knight – my dad won’t allow it,” he muttered, looking away quickly so nobody could see the red flush of his cheeks.

“Lame,” Prompto laughed, slapping Noct playfully on the back.

“Shut up!”

“Hey, Ignis? If you’re such a youtube star, how come you live in such a dingy apartment? Aren’t you, like, totally loaded and such?” 

Ignis contemplated before answering with a smile. “Well, believe it or not, the cost of owning ones home in Insomnia is not a cheap endeavour. I live where I am so that I can save for a much larger home for Gla--  
Anyway…” he trailed off, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, turning his attention to the cake and deciding that now would be the perfect time to box the leftover up.

“What was that you were saying before trailing off?” Gladio asked, following Ignis as he moved around the kitchen with such ease.

“Nothing.”

Gladio stood against the table, puffing out his chest as he rested his arms behind his head. “Didn’t sound like ‘nothing’. Sounded pretty much like you were going to say “Gladio and I”, am I right?”

“More than likely not,” Ignis replied. “Noctis, I believe it is time for us to leave. Do you require a lift home, Prompto?”

Gladio laughed, smiling. “Ignis Scientia, are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Absolutely not,” Ignis responded hastily, purposely avoiding looking in the direction of his partner. If he had, he would have seen the look of love and admiration painting his features. “Come along, Noct.”

“Text me!” Gladio shouted after them, laughing at the way the sandy-blond haired man ushered the two boys out of the kitchen.

“Absolutely not!” Ignis shouted in response.

“Love you!” Gladio laughed.

“I know.”

Gladio did not stop smiling as he listened to the exchange between Ignis and the others. He had known from day one that he cared for Ignis, and as they grew older, that feeling became stronger and morphed into a sense that Gladio was more than familiar with, though mainly due to seeing his parents interacting when he was young and through all the literature he consumed – love. He was hopelessly in love with Ignis and to know that the feelings that he had always assumed to be one-sided for such a long time. To know that Ignis reciprocated was the most exuberant feeling in the world. It sounded cliché, but he honestly did want to stand on the top of the Citadel and proclaim his love to all of Eos and the Astrals above.  
One day, he would be able to do that.  
One day, he would make it official to everyone. 

One day.

“You’re looking rather flush there, Specs.”

“Be quiet, Noct.”

“It’s totally adorable that Iggy is saving for a marital home for himself and Gladio.”

“You too, Prompto!”

Gladio smiled. One day soon, he hoped. 


End file.
